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Where does the word "simile" come from? It comes from Latin simile, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "simile" come from? It comes from Latin simile, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).
Simile’s story begins in Latin: simile meant “like thing.” Neuter of 'similis', like. It reached English by 1300s as simile. Literary 'similes' use 'like' or 'as'. Today, simile means a comparison of two unlike things.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient simile "like thing", neuter of 'similis', like.
- Stage 2 · English · 1300s simile "comparison", literary 'similes' use 'like' or 'as'.